Jaxon knew everything in life wasn't a game. But he also knew the things that should be kept serious weren't photographs or Quidditch--they were issues like injustice, unlawful percecution, and the blind prejudice shown to werewolves and other subsects of the magical population.

"I get you--I do. But girl is rushing around doing all she can to do her job. Just sayin', that she's tryin' is all..."

Jaxon rolled his eyes at the comment he always got to have fun. That wasn't the case. But he tried his damnest to make it that way, because any day could be his last free one. His secret could get out--and he could get grabbed just like Alex had. It was a fear that motivated many protections and just as many risks taken by the seeker. "I am not tryin' to rain on your parade--or keep you from gettin' that perfect shot. Dude, I get the obsession. I become a different person when I mount my broom--I get you being different with a camera in your hand. But just try to keep your mind open to the idea that you can get into that obsessive place without reducin' people to nothin' more than props. Best leaders make their followers feel good about themselves. You never know when someone goes home cryin' at night, because of somethin' you said in a huff that didn't even really mean shit to you. Just sayin'--givin' another perspective...cause you surely know thangs can look hella different when you look at them a different way." His grin flashed then--bringing that damn dimple with it, trying to work its charming magic on Oriel.

It made him proud when that the photographer opened up enough to consider Jaxon's position. Saying sorry could be really hard for some people--Jax had never been one, but he didn't know how rare an apology might be from Oriel. It made him smile a bit. "Nah, I probably took it a little too far. Always pushin' boundaries futher than I really should. Bad habit I ain't able to break. But I get being serious about your work. I'm not all carefree in a match. But I still make sure to enjoy myself...because, darlin', if you ain't enjoyin' yourself with your work, you ain't in the right position. Too many people waste their lives dreadin' how they are gonna spend every day until their dead. That ain't no way to live. And I know you do enjoy what you're doin', which makes you a bit intense when the moment comes for that shot--but it's a balance. Seekers call it goin' snitch blind--when the rest of the world don't exist anymore...and it's just you and that little glint of gold. Can be a real dangerous state of existance."

Oriel cast him an incredulous look. Did he really just say....? "Jaxon, I'm a photographer, not a leader. And besides, those people you referred to as 'props' get paid three times as much as I do for just standing there. It's their job, they can stand a little criticism. And Cordelia? That girl is usually the epitome of concentration. She can read my mind. You're just distracting her, but if I can do my job with you taking your underwear off in front of me, then she can do it with you fully clothed."

He considered the lighting again, whipping out his wand and moving the orbs around. Their conversation had turned into a more private one; anyone who'd stayed behind was standing more to the back to not get in Oriel's way. Huh. Maybe he had taken it a bit too far. Apparently he was less patient with adults who were being paid than children who wanted to blow things up.

He returned Jaxon's smirk slightly, still a bit more focused on his camera than on the man.

"I enjoy my work, usually, but I work best alone. I know for a fact one time one of my colleagues thought I'd died because nobody had seen me in almost a week. But I was just at home, working. I like getting obsessed with my work, when it's not teaching because that's not something I really love. Just... usually I don't have to rely on other people to get things done." He shook his head, motioning for the player to stand at a particular spot. "It's pretty annoying, actually, having my... art? -I think, I don't like calling it that, it sounds pretentious- rely on others. Besides, I think I prefer drawing to photography, but this job paid pretty well and I wanted to get another job with something creative. I could gave become an illustrator but no, my dad needed some help with money. So I picked this one. Don't be fooled, I wasn't the best. Reina just thought I had the prettiest face."

He didn't know why he was telling Jaxon this, but the man was pretty relaxed now and he guessed he owed him a bit of an explanation.

Jax grinned at the look he had earned from the handsome artist. It was cute--seeing Oriel shift and react to the things that the seeker was saying.

At he comments about Cordelia, Jax threw his hands up and replied: "Hey, maybe it's not me?!" Another flash of that boyish grin came to his face. "Maybe something else is going on with her and you are just projectin' cause my strippin' got you all torn up." The seeker was flirting again. He was helpless to resist the urge. He was such a sucker for the complicated artist.

Jaxon moved to the place Oriel indicated, listening to what the man had to say, wearing that easy grin as he drifted across the stage. He was so tall, but still incredibly agile, which gave a sort of grace in the way he moved. "Don't artists get off on soundin' pretentious," Jax teased good naturedly. At the mention of Oriel's father, some hints of darkness shadowed across Jaxon's face--his smile faltering, his eyes getting slightly distant. Family mattered to the man a great deal and that compounded with the old never healing of losing his own old man years prior, to change the demeanor of the seeker--and if Oriel was here to help out his father, then Jaxon would make sure that he didn't obstruct that--anymore than he already had anyway.

Jaxon didn't touch on the topic of family or fathers, but there was respect and hints of admiration in the way he was looking at Oriel. Not wanting things to get too serious, because they still had work to do--he sent a wink the photographer's way as he drawled: "So, I'm not the only one to that purdy face."

Jaxon was glad that the tension between them had been resolved--well, the bad tension that was. He took on the assigned stance again. "Is my scary face all you hoped it would be?" Jax asked as he furrowed his brow and gave a playful growl bearing his teeth at Oriel.

Oriel laughed softly. "Yes, we do. But I'm also an academic. Not much art or pretentiousness in alchemy, I'm afraid. Creativity gets you blown to bits. So I like to keep things balanced." He winked. "Besides, I don't think the whole singed look would suit me."

He noticed the tiny change in demeanour when he mentioned his father and almost winced. Sometimes family was a touchy subject, he tended to forget that and blab on and on. Well, if Jaxon didn't ask him about why exactly he'd chosen to study alchemy then family wouldn't come up again. Mothers were a sensitive subject when it came to Oriel, though he doubted the topic would come up in a conversation with Jaxon.

"Apparently not." He chuckled, admiring the way he'd set the light. That really brought out Jax's cheekbones. "And no, you're not nearly as scary as I hoped. In fact, I think you're closer to pretty." Oriel winked. "Now, swing that broom over your shoulder and hold on to it with both hands. Give me one of those smirks, too."

He held up his camera again.

The sound of laughter from Oriel made Jaxon rather pleased with himself. He had managed to defuse the tension that had built up when the photographer had gotten a bit perturbed with his flirtatious misbehaviors. Looked like drinks and whatever else would be in his future after all.

"Singein' that hair would be devastatin', especially before I got to pull it," the seeker drawled-- the expression on his face made clear the explicit nature of his thoughts. Sex was always on the brain. The urges were even more pronounced since his were affliction--and he'd already been a whore in school.

The exaggerated bearing of teeth shifted into a cheeky grin, laughter rumbling up from his chest before finally a cocky smirk settled on the werewolf's full lips. "Pretty ain't a bad thang, doll, but let's do this so we can get outta here--" Queue the wink--The sleek broom went over his shoulders and strong hands gripped the shaft, knuckles whitened slightly at the force applied by the man. His dark eyes shown with arrogance and taunted any competition as they narrowed at Oriel. One brow was arched up as if to say, come at me bitch, I got this.

Oriel looked at him through the lens. It was a perfect picture, but he wanted the one little touch that would put it beyond that. Reina would want something, and he'd give that to her, but he would do it his way. Most definitely, his own way.

He usually didn't put up such a fight if it was such an unimportant, basic picture, but now... Maybe Jaxon's challenging ways were already rubbing off on him. He mentally winced at the phrasing, though he also found it amusing. If anything in the world had even been clear, it was that that was exactly Jaxon's plan. Oriel couldn't say he minded, they were almost done anyway.

So he waited until Jaxon was in place to finish the comment about his hair, wanting to capture the exact look in his eyes. "Well, that's what it's there for."

He pressed the button and snapped the picture, capturing his reaction. Perfect. He smirked. "Now, we're done." He let the camera hand back on his chest and winked.

It was different when Oriel was looking at him and when the man was observing him through the lens of a camera. Jaxon couldn't say exactly what made it so, but it was. A separation occurred but there was still intimacy--an experience that wasn't completely new to the seeker. It brought back a swirl of memories of what had once been, but he wouldn't let them cloud his mind just now. That was a long time ago and he'd been different back then--capable of giving more than he could now.

Oriel made a reply to Jaxon's blatant flirtation and in response, the seeker's eyes widen slightly--visual queues of victory were hinted at now on his face. His tongue peeked out between his teeth ever-so-slightly before sweeping over his bottom lip. Somewhere in those moments, the click of the camera came. That would be image of him on the cover--it was a wizarding magazine after all--so there would be movement in the image. Oriel had managed perfectly capture him in his natural, flirty confident mannerisms. Jax couldn't wait to see the cover. He hadn't really cared before, but now he was actually excited about it.

"Nice-" the Cole drawled when Oriel proclaimed them finished. Jaxon was already stripping off his uniform shirt and walking towards the changing room where his clothes waited. Half out of his jersey, walking backwards so he was still facing Oriel, he asked "You wanna get outta here?" The question came as he stepped backwards off the stage, many would have fallen or stumbled, but he made it seem like walking with your back to the direction you were headed was perfectly natural and easy--long legs and all that height, but still graceful. It was some kind of sin the way the man had been blessed. Perhaps it made up for the way he had been cursed.

Oriel, who had been already giving the small roll of negatives to the assistant, looked over at him with an amused look in his eyes. The assistant herself froze, not having been expecting to intrude on what she thought was a private conversation. It was known amongst his new colleagues that he didn't often go out, let alone with anyone they'd just worked with. But Oriel paid her no mind, handing over the roll with a brief thanks before turning fully to the seeker.

"Sure." He told him, casually grabbing his wand and summing his things as he watched Jaxon's graceful movements. It was a lovely thing to see, really.

While Jaxon was in the changing room he proceeded to put his blouse back on and stuff his camera back in the satchel he had. After a slight moment of consideration he shrank the whole thing and dropped it in his breast pocket. He told the assistant to oversee the shutting of the studio and sat on the edge of the podium to wait for Jaxon, watching idly as everyone scurried about.

When Oriel confirmed that he would, in fact, be accompanying the seeker out, the gawking from Oriel's assistant made Jaxon only more pleased with himself. That delight was demonstrated by the widening of his grin as he bounced over to the changing room. The man was overun with energy. It was far enough from the full moon that he was most himself--and he loved these days of freedom from the weight of the were burden.

Making quick work of shedding his uniform pants and getting back into his regular clothes, which were much more comfortable (and fashionable), the brunet ruffled his mane of curls before handing his broom and uniform over to Cordelia. He brushed his lips across her cheek and praised her for a job well done, before asking her to owl his stuff back to him. The witch blushed and promised to do so earning her a warm smile from the man. "Thanks, doll," were his parting words to her and he made a beeline for the long-haired photographer.

"So, whatcha feelin' like, handsome?" Jaxon asked, as he slung an arm over Oriel's shoulder and glanced over at the artist. "I know this lowkey muggle joint with some pool tables, if you're into that." Jaxon would force Oriel to go somewhere muggle, but being a Quidditch pro made his face fairly recognizable in most magical pubs--though less so in Knockturn, it seemed--but Knockturn wasn't really the type of scene he had in mind for this little impromptu date.

Oriel smiled slightly, looking sideways at Jaxon when he swung an arm over his shoulders. The seeker was slightly taller than him, and obviously more built, but not enough to be heavy. Oriel had never liked buff men, there was no grace in them, but Jaxon was all predatory finesse. And that very appealing to Oriel.

"Muggle sounds fine to me." He nodded with a soft smile. Now that work was done, professionalism could go out the window. "Pool's never been my thing but I'm sure we can find something else to entertain ourselves with."

His mother, back when she'd been alive, had been artistic and free. So much so that he'd grown up going to small pubs with her, of course never drinking himself, and it was a habit that had stuck in his teenage years. He didn't often go out anymore, but when he did he liked to mix it up. Oriel was muggleborn himself so he felt just as at home in the muggle world as in the wizarding.

He got to his feet and turned to look at Jaxon expectantly. He didn't know the way, side-along it was then, right?